Process for producing plastic railway-ties.



No. 807,188. PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905.

J. MURPHY.

PROCESS FOR PRODUCING PLASTIC RAILWAY TIES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19; 1995.

WITNESSS? INVENTUR M film/ 1 71" muz- BY 7& 5 W

ATTORNEYS JOHN MURPHY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

PROCESS FOR PRODUCING PLASTIC RAILWAY-TIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed April 19, 1905- Scrial No. 256,431.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MURPHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Producing Plastic Railway-Ties, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to anew and useful improvement in processes for producing plastic railway-ties, and more particularly to a process for handling, drying, and burning railway-ties.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple process for moving the ties from their formation-point into a suitable drying and burning inclosure and positioning them therein, then connecting the ties so as to hold them in place to be properly dried and burned, the entire process being conducted with a view of obviating the breaking, cracking, and distorting of the ties which has heretofore commonly been the difficulty encountered in the production of plastic ties or sleepers.

In order that my process may be more clearly understood, I have illustrated one of the many forms of construction by which it can be carried out, and have shown the same in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a horizontal sectional view, on the line a; w of Fig. 2, of an ordinary drying and burning kiln and showing the ties in plan as they are arranged and fastened in position in the kiln. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line y y of Fig. 1, showing the ties and their connecting means in vertical section and portions of the kiln in elevation. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of one of the ties. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the tie-moving sling and showing a tie in position therein, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the bricks employed to connect the ties in the kiln.

In carrying out my process in connection with the apparatus shown the numeral 1 designates the tie, which, it is understood, may be of any suitable form, either hollow or solid. However, in the drawings I have illustrated a solid tie. The tie 1 being suitably formed from the desired plastic m'aterialsuch as cement, clay, shale mixed with sand or the likeis placed in its green state lengthwise on a board or plank 2, which is suitably supported or rested on the ground. The upper surface of the tie is cut away near its ends and between its sides to form recesses or cavities 2 and 3, the cavity 3 being larger than the cavity 2, so as to have sufficient size to receive the ordinary wooden block to which the rails are spiked, while the smaller cavity 2 is cut when it is desired to use rail-clamps in connection with the ties, it being understood that the cavities cut in each tie are of the same size, and the size of the cavity depends upon whether the clamp or the block is to be used. At one end the tie is cut out at its upper and lower sides, so as to form dovetail recesses 4 for the purpose hereinafter described. After the cavities 2 or 3 are formed they may be filled with ashes, so as to keep them in shape during the burning and drying stages. A second board 5 is now placed on top of the tie, and the same is then ready to be swung into the kiln. It is to be understood that the boards 2 and 5 have substantially the same length as the tie, but are slightly wider than the same, so that when the chain-sling 6 is engaged about the boards the same will protect the tie and prevent the chain-links from marring the same. The chain-sling 6 may be of any suitable construction and is suspended from a suitable crane or other moving means, so that the tie may be readily lifted and swung in the position shown in Fig. 4. The tie having been swung into the kiln, which is indicated in the drawings by the numeral 7, it is positioned so as to stand on one end with its end having the recesses 4 uppermost. 5 are now removed and other ties swung into the kiln in juxtaposition to the first tie and each other, all being arranged on their ends and having their ends provided with the dovetailed recesses 3 uppermost and the ties so positioned as 'to cause the recesses 4 of adjacent ties to lie in corresponding relation. As the ties are placed in the kiln they are connected by bricks 8, having a substantially double dovetail shape and adapted to engage at each end in corresponding or adjacent recesses, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. In this way the ties are securely fastened together, as the ends of the bricks arevembedded in the recesses, thus providing a rigid connection. It is .to be understood that While the ties are rigidly connected together they are not brought in contact with each other and are sufliciently separated so as to allow a free circulation of air and prevent any portion of one tie from touching any portion of the other. When the kiln has been filled and the ties connected, as described, they will be so The sling 6 and boards 2 and I securely held together or adjacent to each other that it will be impossible for any one of the ties or the mass to incline or fall. Also in handling the ties in this manner all liabilprocess.

While I have illustrated and described certain mechanical constructions in connection with my process, I wish it understood that myinvention consists, essentially, of a process for handling, drying, and burning plastic railway-ties consisting in first arranging a tie in its green state on a suitable support, then cutting cavities in the tie, then placing the tie between suitable side boards and engaging a sling about the boards and swinging the ties into a kiln, then positioning the ties on their ends and adjacent to each other, and finally fastening the ties together in a body in the kiln to hold them in position during the drying and burning of the same.

After years of experience and many experiments 1 have found that the above-described process is the only successful and practical way to produce plastic. railway-ties without cracking or defacing the same.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A process for handling, drying and burning plastic railway-ties consisting in first placing each tie in a suitable moving device, then moving the tie into a suitable inclosure, then positioning the tie in the inclosure so that it rests on one end and then connecting the ties by embedding bricks in their upper ends to fasten them in fixed relation to each other and hold them in place during the drying and burning operation to preventcracking and distorting of the same.

2. A process for handling, drying and burning plastic railway-ties consisting in first forming suitable recesses or openings in the tie while 1n 1ts green state, secondly placing the tie in a suitable moving device, thirdly moving the tie into an inclosure and arranging it on one end in vertical position and fourthly in embedding connecting means in the adjacent recesses of the ties to fasten the ties together to hold them against displacement and prevent cracking during the drying and burning operation.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MURPHY. Witnesses:

A. L. PHELPS, M. B. ScHLEY. 

